The Nafs

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Imam Ghazali (ra) writes, "Strangely enough, you punish your servants and your children when they do anything wrong and you say to yourself, "If I do not punish them, they will become disobedient and rebellious". But you do not care for your 'self' and never fear that it is growing rebellious. Don't you know that rebelliousness in others is not going to do you as much harm as rebelliousness of your own nafs.

For, if others are rebellious, they can do harm to your worldly interest alone, but your own rebellious nature is doing harm to your life in the Akhirah, which is eternal and the bounties thereof endure permanently.

What a heavy loss it would be, if you did harm to your Akhirah? 

Our forefathers were aware of this fact, and therefore, if anyone of them missed an opportunity to do a good deed for his eternal life, he would be very anxious to make up for it.

Wasalaam!

Accept the Blessing and Make the Most of It

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Make the most of the blessings of Allah, give thanks to Him and obey Him. Enjoy the water that you drink and use for wudhu. Enjoy the warmth and light of the sun, and the light and beauty of the moon.

Pick fruit from the trees, drink your fill from the rivers, look at the ocean, walk through the fields, and give thanks to Allah, the Almighty, Oft-Forgiving, the Sovereign and Subduer.

Make use of these blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you, and beware of denying these blessings.

They recognize the Grace of Allah, yet they deny it ..

(Surah An-Nahl, Verse 83)

Before you look at the thorn of the rose, look at its beauty.

Before you complain about the heat of the sun, enjoy its light.

Before you complain about the blackness of the night, think of its peace and quiet.

Why look at things in such a pessimistic and negative manner? Why deny and change blessings?

Have you not seen those who have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief?

(Surah Ibrahim, Verse 28)

Take these blessings and accept them graciously, and praise Allah, the Almighty, All-Glorious, for them.

Wasalaam!

Emptying the Vessel - Part Two

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Gracious

This struggle to free one's heart from all false attachments, the struggle to empty the vessel of the heart, is the greatest struggle of earthly life. That struggle is the essence of tauheed (true monotheism). And so you will see that, if examined deeply, all five pillars of Islam are essentially about and enable detachment:

1. Shahadah (Declaration of Faith): The declaration of faith is the verbal profession of the very detachment we seek to achieve - that the only object of our worship, ultimate devotion, love, fears and hope is Allah. And Allah alone. To succeed at freeing oneself from all other attachments, except the attachment to the Creator, is the truest manifestation of tauheed.

2. Salah (Five Daily Prayers): Five times a day, we must pull away from the world to focus on our Creator and ultimate purpose. Five times a day, we detach ourselves from whatever we are doing of worldly life, and turn to Allah. 

Prayer could have been prescribed only once a day or week, or all five prayers could have been done at one time each day. But it is not. The prayers are spread throughout the day. If one keeps to their prayers at their specified times, there is no opportunity to get attached.

As soon as we begin to become engrossed in whatever worldly matter we are involved in, we are forced to detach from it and turn our focus to the only true object of attachment.

3. Siyaam (Fasting): Fasting is all about detachment. It is the detachment from food, drink, intercourse and vain speech. By restraining our physical self, we ennoble, purify and exalt our spiritual self. Through fasting, we are forced to detach ourselves from our physical needs, desires and pleasures.

4. Zakah (Charity): Zakah is about detaching ourselves from our money and giving it for the sake of Allah. By giving it away, we are forced to break our attachment to wealth.

5. Hajj (Pilgrimage): Hajj is one of the most comprehensive and profound acts of detachment. A pilgrim leaves behind everything in his life. He gives up his family, his home, his salary, his warm bed, his comfortable shoes and expensive clothes, all in exchange for sleeping on the ground or in a crowded tent and wearing only two simple pieces of cloth. There are no status symbols on Hajj. 

Realize that Allah, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, does not just ask us to be detached from the world - He tells us exactly how. Beyond the five pillars, even our dress breeds detachment.

The Prophet (saw) tells us to distinguish ourselves, to be different from the crowd, even in how we appear. By wearing your hijab or having a beard, you can't just blend in - even if you wanted to.

The Prophet (saw) said, "Islam began as something strange, and it shall return to being something strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers".

By being "strange" to this world, we can live in it, without being of it. And it is through that detachment that we can empty the vessel of our heart in preparation for that which nourishes it and gives it life. 

By emptying our heart, we can prepare for its true nourishment: Allah.

Wasalaam!

Hazrat Aisha (ra) and the Fear of Allah

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Who does not know about the love that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) had for his dear wife Hazrat Aisha (ra)? It is said that when he was asked whom he loved most, he replied, "Aisha".

She was so well versed in Islamic jurisprudence that many eminent Sahabah would go to her for solving their problems in this field.

The Angel Jibraeel (as) used to greet her with Assalamu alaikum. The Prophet (saw) once told her that she would be his wife in Paradise. When she was slandered by the Hypocrites, Allah exonerated her from the slander and confirmed her innocence by revealing verses in the Quran.

According to Hazrat Ibn Sa'd (ra), Hazrat Aisha (ra) once enumerated as many as ten special virtues that Allah had given her over the other wives of the Prophet (saw). 

In spite of all these privileges and virtues, she feared Allah so much that she was often heard saying:

"I wish I was a tree, so that I could always be busy in Allah's tasbeeh and be absolved of reckoning on the Day of Judgement."

"I wish I had been a stone or a clod of earth".

"I wish I had been the leaf of a tree or a blade of grass".

"I wish I had not been born at all."

The awe and fear of Allah was the guiding factor in the lives of the Sahabah and Sahabiyah, and it should be the same for us as well.

Wasalaam!

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) as a Child

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

The Prophet (saw) did not descend from the heavens at the age of forty, ready immediately to begin preaching the message of Islam. On the contrary, he entered this world in the same manner that all other children (of course with the exception of Prophet Adam (as), Hawwa and Prophet Isa (as) entered it. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) was born to a mother and father.

Furthermore, his aging process was not accelerated for him, whereby he transformed from an infant into a forty year old Prophet in a matter of moments, weeks or months. No, time passed by for him in a normal fashion, and, as with all of the other people on earth, he had to go through the various stages of life - infancy, childhood, young adulthood, all the way to old age.

What was he like as a child? To put it simply, he was a child, but was not like other children. He was both innocent and born of excellent lineage, and he was at once intelligent and pure. Perhaps what distinguished him most from other children was the fact that, at every stage of his young life, he was being divinely protected by Allah.

To the keen-sighted observer, Muhammad (saw) the child was being prepared for great things. Everyone who played a part in raising him - his mother; his nursemaid, Haleemah (ra); Abdul Mutallib; and Abu Talib - knew that he was being divinely prepared for a great mission in life, but what that mission was, they probably couldn't guess (except of course for Abu Talib, who had been informed by a monk about the seal of prophethood on Muhammad's (saw) back).

Divine protection didn't just mean that Allah protected Muhammad (saw) from physical harm; actually, it primarily meant protecting him in a spiritual sense. Thus, as a child or even as a young adult, Prophet Muhammad (saw) was never know for frivolity, for having bad manners, or even for the innocent mischief making that is common among children. 

He remained innocent and without a blemish to stain his character because he was being prepared to bring happiness to mankind, to bring them out of darkness and into the light. Thus, he was a man, and yet a Prophet; he was a human being, but at the same time he was a Messenger; he was a slave of Allah, and yet he was divinely protected from doing wrong; he was a human being, and yet revelation descended upon him.

In historical terms, it is false to depict Prophet Muhammad (saw) simply as being a leader. The leaders who have lived on earth and then died are similar in number to the hair on ones head. They had ambitions for power and aspirations for great wealth, and they achieved the trivial things they had set out to gain. Few people remember them, and even less care about them.

But the Prophet (saw) was much, much, much more than a leader. He was a guide and a Prophet; he came with the Book of Allah and with his own Sunnah; he came with light and guidance; he came with beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds.

He focused on people's well-being not just in this life, but in the Hereafter as well; and he was concerned not just with people's physical well-being, but with their spiritual well-being as well.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) was not merely knowledgeable. By the permission of Allah, he taught the knowledge he had been blessed with to others; he trained the most famous and eminent scholars and jurists of the world; he taught orators how to deliver wonderful speeches; he guided the wise and the unlearned; and he guided all people to the truth:

And verily, you O Muhammad, are indeed guiding mankind to the Straight Path.
(Quran 42:52)

Prophet Muhammad (saw) was not a king who used soldiers and guards to keep a firm grip on power. He was a Prophet and Messenger sent by Allah: He was a warner and a bearer of glad tidings to every king and commoner, every free man and slave, every rich man and poor man, every Arab and non-Arab, every white man and black man.

And, We have sent you O Muhammad not but as a mercy for the mankind, jinns and all that exists.
(Quran 21:107)

The Prophet (saw) said: "By the One Who has my soul in His Hand, if any person from this Nation, if any Jew, or if any Christian hears about me and then dies without believing in that which I have been sent with, he will be among the people of the Hellfire".

If we follow him from his childhood to his youth, we will find that he maintained his purity and innocence, adding to those qualities a number of other noble traits, such as eloquence, trustworthiness, good manners and chastity. 

He never spoke a single lie; in fact, he had not even a single defect in his character. Truthful in speech, honourable in terms of his character, pure in both speech and deed, noble in his manners, easy going in his dealings, good natured in terms of his disposition, Muhammad (saw) the young man was, it is no wonder, universally loved and respected by his fellow tribesmen.

So, when he openly announced his prophethood years later, his enemies could not recall a single character flaw, a single slip-up, a single mistake that they could use to attack his character. He had, to their despair and anger, an absolutely clean record. 

They themselves had labelled him "The Trustworthy One"; they themselves would entrust him and no one else with their valuables; they were the ones who would ask him to settle their disputes.

He was, they knew, a paragon of virtues during his youth; imagine, then, how noble and virtuous and good he became once the duties of prophethood fell onto his shoulders.

And, verily, you O Muhammad are on an exalted standard of character.
(Quran 68:4)

Wasalaam!

Forgotten Heroines - The Housewifes' Lament

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Money is tight. The kids are demanding. Skin is raw from all the cooking, cleaning and chores that have to be done every day. There's absolutely no time to spare for anything else, whether it's pursuing further education or volunteering for a special cause.

Does this sound familiar?

There are Muslim women all over the world who find themselves at home, living life as domestic stay-at-home mums and housewives. It's a physically and emotionally demanding job and it's also a pretty thankless one.

How can spending all day serving others, instead of being involved in some kind of noble, public cause, ever be truly fulfilling and worth recognition - not just by people, but by Allah Himself?

Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad (saw) is known to be one of the four most perfect women in the entire world.

"Prophet Muhammad (saw) drew four lines and said to the Companions, "Do you know what these are?" They said, "Allah and His Messenger (saw) know best". He said, "The best women from the women of Paradise are Khadijah (ra) bint Khuwaylid, Fatima (ra) bint Muhammad (saw), Maryam bint Imran and Asiyah bint Muzahim (the wife of Pharaoh)". 

(Ahmad)

Yet when we look at the biography of Fatima (ra) bint Muhammad (saw), one could say that in comparison to others amongst the early Muslim women, her life was relatively unremarkable. She grew up during a difficult time for her parents, when her father (saw) was being publicly mocked and derided for preaching his message; she lost her mother at a relatively young age and she married her cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) when she was about fifteen years old. Some of the most well-known ahadeeth related by her mention how physically demanding her lifestyle was, such that her hands would crack and bleed from the wheat grinding that she used to do.

What made Fatima (ra) so special? So special, in fact, that she will forever be known as one of the greatest women of Paradise?

Fatima (ra) bint Muhammad (saw) is not known for an act of dramatic courage such as that displayed by Nusaybah bint Ka'b (ra) during the Battle of Uhud, but she too provides an example for a situation that many Muslim women around the world live and continue to face: the everyday drudgery of life as a wife and mother.

Fatima (ra) may have been the most beloved daughter to the Prophet (saw), who was also the head of the Islamic State and leader of the Muslim army, but that didn't mean that her life was one of luxury or ease.

Quite to the contrary, Fatima (ra) was the mother of two young boys and ran her household single-handedly. Life was difficult back then, with none of the technologies that smooth our way through tedious tasks today. 

She used to grind the wheat for her bread with her own hands, to the point that her hands would crack and bleed. Her husband, Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra), was an employee of one of the Ansaar, but the income was meagre and they struggled to survive on a daily basis.

One day, weary and despairing of the toll that their lifestyle was taking on her, Fatima (ra) decided that she would approach her father, the Prophet Muhammad (saw). At the time, the Muslims had won a battle and, as a result, had captured several prisoners and other spoils of war.

With the reasoning that as a member of the Ummah, she was entitled to some relief, Fatima (ra) went to visit one of the Prophet's (saw) homes. She did not find her father present, but seeing her stepmother Aisha (ra), Fatima (ra) shared the story of her bleeding hands and her wish for a maidservant to take a share of the burdens.

Fatima (ra) went back to her home, and the when the Prophet (saw) returned to his own house, Aisha (ra) told him about his daughters visit. That same night, the Prophet (saw) slipped into his daughters home, where she and Ali (ra) were already lying in bed.

Ali (ra) narrates, "I wanted to get up, but the Prophet (saw) said, "Remain in your place". Then he sat down between us until I felt the coolness of his face on my chest. The Prophet (saw) said, "Shall I teach you a thing which is better than what you have asked me? When you go to bed, say Allahu Akbar 34 times, Subhanallah 33 times and Alhamdulillah 33 times, for that is better for you both than a servant".

After this, Fatima (ra) never repeated her request for a maid ever again.

It may seem to be a small and insignificant thing, but this was one of the reasons for which Fatima (ra) earned her position as one of the queens of Jannah. Her life was spent quietly serving her Lord, through her sincere intentions behind caring for her husband and children.

Around her, there were many Sahabiyat (female companions) whose lives seemed much more exciting, full of adventure and grandeur. Her stepmother, Aisha (ra), was a great scholar; her great aunt Safiyah bint Abdul Mutallib (ra) was fierce in battle and the women of Madinah were renowned for their boldness in approaching any matter.

Nonetheless, for Fatima (ra), the path to Paradise was simple - though never easy. For every stay-at-home mother and housewife who feels that her life is too consumed by daily drudgery, who worries that her life is too dull to be of consequence, the quiet strength of Fatima (ra) is an inspiration and a reminder that no deed, however small or insignificant, is overlooked by Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Just.

And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.
(Surah Hud - Verse 115)

Jannah is not only for the Prophets, the martyrs, the ascetics or the scholars; Jannah is attainable by every Muslimah, no matter her occupation or station in life. In the eyes of Allah, every sincere Muslim woman who pledges her life to pleasing her Lord is a heroine of Islam.

(Sisters Magazine)

Wasalaam!

My Hajj Journey 2012

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Seeing the Haajis in Makkah completing their Hajj this year brings back so many memories of my own journey last year. Alhamdulillah, Allah blessed me and my parents with the honour of visiting His House and performing the blessed Hajj pilgrimage, and He, the Most Merciful, helped us in ways you can never imagine. This is the plane that brought us, with the will of Allah, to the blessed land of Arabia. May Allah take us all there again and again - Ameen!

The first stop was Masjidul Haram in Makkah. This is where the House of Allah - the Kaabah stands. Built by the Prophet Ibrahim (as) and his son, it has been a blessed place on earth for thousands of years.

The Hajj journey was a snapshot of the entire world. Walking through the crowded mosques, we heard languages and saw faces from all over the world. A clear proof of the spectrum of the Islamic faith - a universal faith that there is only One God - Allah.

This was one of the many wall paintings which greeted us on arrival at Mina. It means "Welcome to the guests of Ar-Rahmaan". It completely sums up the hospitality of the people of Arabia during the Hajj season. They treat every single person as the guest of Allah. The amount of times our coaches stopped at checkpoints on the way, and we were handed so many free drinks, food and other goodies. May Allah reward the people of Arabia for their immense hospitality throughout the Hajj season and other months of the year - Ameen. We can only pray for them but their true reward lies only with You, O Allah!

The first stop for us as pilgrims was Mina - the tent city! And it really is a city, in fact it felt as though the whole world had gathered in one place. Each country had its own area, and within those areas were streets and alleys where all the different Hajj groups had their tents. That first day spent in Mina was the time to begin our prayers and contemplate on the huge journey ahead.

As night fell on that first day in Mina, there were many speakers giving talks about Hajj in all the tents. You could hear many different voices and languages ringing out as we walked in between the little alleys. We were quite lucky in that the nasheed artist, Junaid Jamshed gave a talk in our tent. He said something which kept me going throughout the entire Hajj journey, and still resonates with me today. 
He said, "This Hajj is a strange worship. You perform many rituals, and they may seem strange to non-Muslims, but you do them because it is the command of Allah.
This is the same with life.
Some of the commands of Allah may not make sense to you, but you do them because Allah has commanded you to. 
In the end, you will definitely see the beautiful wisdom behind each and every command of Allah".

The next morning, after Fajr, we set off for Arafah. Subhanallah! What a place! A huge open piece of land, surrounded by mountains, and dotted with tents. A day of praying and repenting awaited us - this is Hajj - Hajj is Arafah.

The tents in Arafah were temporary and were just pieces of cloth tied to poles for the roof, and rugs on the floor. A glimpse into the lives of the Bedouin Arabs who live their lives in tents in the desert, moving from place to place in search of water. 
As the Day of Arafah went on, the praying intensified. All around on the loudspeakers , were voices crying out to Allah, begging for His forgiveness and repenting for a life full of sin.

As sunset approached in Arafah, the prayers became more intense. We stood out on the open plains, arms raised up to the heavens, weeping and crying to Allah, and begging Him to forgive us. Anticipating that when the sun set, and we left for Muzdalifah, we would leave forgiven and free of sin like newborn babies.
But for now, Arafah was our world, and we stood in front of Him, begging.

The night was spent under the moon in Muzdalifah. After a day of repentance under the hot Arabian sun, the coolness of the night was quite welcome. Many of the Hujjaj slept, resting their weary bodies but many more were awake, praising their Lord for His Mercy at Arafah, and marvelling at the sea of humanity in front of them, which spread out as far as the eye could see.

After spending the night in Muzdalifah, we left after Fajr, and started the long walk back to Mina. The sun rose as we walked, and all I could hear around me was the footsteps of all the Hujjaj, all heading in the same direction. It reminded me of the scene of the Day of Judgement which has been described in the Quran. How on that day, all that will be heard is the sound of footsteps as people walk to the Plain of Reckoning.

We finally reached Mina around mid-morning after getting quite lost among all the white tents. It was then time for a well earned rest before our next step in the journey. Little did we know that today was the day of Eid-ul-Adha!




After a few hours rest in Mina, we walked all the way to the Jamaraat Bridge. Today we would pelt one pillar representing the Shaytaan, and within the next two days, we would return twice to pelt all three.

The sight of people getting their entire lives worth of anger out at the Shaytaan was just indescribable. When we left the bridge, a huge weight felt like it had been lifted from our shoulders. 

And then, it was back to Makkah for tawaf. Back to the Kabah where our Hajj journey had begun - back to the House of Allah. It reminded me of life - we come from Allah, and we will return back to Him. We always return back to Him.

May Allah accept our Hajj, and accept the Hajj of all the Muslims who have ever performed it, and take us again and again to the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah - Ameen!

Wasalaam!

(All photos were taken by me)